The Best Minestrone Soup!
Why is this the best minestrone soup, you may ask? We have three really good reasons! It’s sooo homey – reminiscent of our grandmother’s kitchen with the smell of garlic and onions lingering in the air. It’s budget and pantry friendly – all items can be found easily in the grocery store or the back of your fridge, and it won’t break the bank! It’s chock full of nutrients while also being unbelievably delicious. Did we convince you? You’ll have to try it for yourself.
What Is In Minestrone Soup?
An authentic Italian minestrone soup has – you guessed it – lots of veggies! The broth is tomatoey, rich, and complex in flavor. It’s the perfect warm winter soup.
Here’s what you’ll need to make our easy minestrone soup recipe:
Extra-virgin olive oil
Yellow onion
Celery
Carrots
Garlic cloves
Fennel seeds
Vegetable or chicken stock
Tomato sauce
Diced tomatoes
Green bean
Italian seasoning
Kosher salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
Cannellini beans
Ditalini or other short-cut pasta
Fresh basil leaves
Baby spinach
Fresh Parmesan cheese
How To Make Minestrone Soup
Follow these easy steps to make the best minestrone soup:
Cook the mirepoix! Heat olive oil in a pan until glistening, then add the carrots, onions, and celery!
Season! Add the fennel seeds and garlic and cook until you can smell a toasty aroma!
Make the base! Add the stock, water, all the tomatoes, green beans, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and once the beans start to soften, about 7 minutes, add in the pasta until tender. Pro Tip: Check the pasta box instructions for timing – you can cook them to your desired doneness!
Finish it off! Add in the spinach and basil and cook until wilted, about 4 minutes
Garnish and Serve! Top with Parm and basil, and enjoy!
Tips and Tricks for Homemade Minestrone Soup
Make it dietary-friendly! Sub chicken stock for vegetable broth for vegetarians! For vegans, or those watching dairy intake, omit the parmesan!
Make it your own! Substitute for seasonal veggies: sub spinach for kale or green beans for peas, whatever makes sense for you and your family – but consider the water content of the vegetables! Swap white beans for kidney beans! Add potatoes or ground sausage for additional heartiness! The world is your dutch oven!
Don’t have pasta on hand? No worries, you can double the beans! Or, try farro or a hearty whole grain like farro or barley.
For another easy, delicious vegetarian meal-in-a-bowl, check out our creamy Vegetable Curry Soup!
How to Serve Minestrone Soup
This recipe for minestrone soup has a tomatoey, homestyle broth that pairs perfectly with crusty Garlic Bread or Sourdough. It’s hearty enough to be a lunch; a fresh green salad is our go-to accompaniment. Try a Classic Cobb Salad, Chopped Salad with Herb Yogurt Dressing, or a Caesar Salad. Keep it light with a Simple Green Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette. Or, throw whatever greens you have together and test out one of The Best Homemade Salad Dressings! To make this into an even heartier meal, we’ll serve it in a cup or bowl as a first course of appetizer, then follow it with Baked Cod, Chicken Cacciatore, or Beef Tenderloin with a side of Broccolini.
How to Store Minestrone Soup
Easy minestrone soup is a super easy weeknight meal that also turns into the next day’s lunch! Although it doesn’t last long in our kitchen, you can make a big batch and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. The longer it sits, the more the flavors will mingle and in return, the better it will be. Remember that the pasta will likely start to fall apart by the fifth day, so sometimes, we make the pasta separately and add it to each bowl! But can you freeze minestrone soup? Absolutely! Again, we would recommend making it up until the addition of pasta, fully cooling it down, then freezing it. When it comes time to enjoy, heat the soup up to a boil, add the pasta and cook according to the package, then follow with your greens! Enjoy!
Tools You’ll Need In This Recipe for Minestrone Soup
More of our Favorite Soups!
Reason #1000 we love soup: it’s a one-bowl complete meal! Sometimes, we love to add a side salad or a veggie, but most times, it’s reheat and eat! Ideal for meal prepping, and it’ll make the entire house smell amazing, too!
French Onion - a rich broth, caramelized onions, and a cheesy top!
Turkey Noodle Soup - the perfect soup for leftover turkey!
Italian Wedding Soup - a bright, timeless favorite, and oh so simple!
Vegetable Soup - ultra healthy and easy to swap with your favorite veggies!
An Easy Homey Minestrone Soup Recipe
Did you make a bowl of hearty, homemade minestrone soup? Tell us what you think! Tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Happy eating!
